Program Features

Keynote Speakers

Michael McQueen

Michael McQueen understands what it takes to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Widely recognised for having his finger on the pulse of business and culture, he has helped some of the world’s best-known brands navigate change and stay ahead of the curve.

As a leading specialist in demographic shifts, change management and future trends, Michael features regularly as a commentator on TV and radio and has written five bestselling books. His newest release, Momentum: How to Build it, Keep it or Get it Back is revealing look at how organizations and individuals can maintain a growth trajectory and ensure that a groove doesn’t become a rut. Michael is a familiar face on the international conference circuit having shared the stage with the likes of Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg and Larry King. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people across 5 continents since 2004 and is known for his high-impact, research-rich and entertaining conference presentations.

In 2015, Michael was named Australia’s Keynote Speaker of the Year and was inducted into the Speakers Halls of Fame.

Orange Sky Laundry

At the age of 20, best mates Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett built a free mobile laundry in their old van to help the homeless. Orange Sky Laundry began in October 2014 and since then, the world first idea has rapidly expanded to 11 vans in Brisbane, Melbourne, SE Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart, Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Wollongong.

Run by more than 600 volunteers across the country, the custom-fitted vans with two commercial washing machines and two dryers service 73 locations and wash more than 7,000 kgs of laundry every week. A catalyst for conversation, Orange Sky Laundry facilitates over 1,300 hours of volunteering and conversation each week. The organisation has also responded to natural disasters, helping cyclone-affected communities in North Queensland, residents of the Great Ocean Road Bushfires, and more recently, Adelaide flood victims. Orange Sky Laundry to date has washed over 300,000 kgs of free laundry, but most importantly, fostered over 80,000 hours of positive, genuine and non-judgemental conversation.

In January 2016, Nic and Lucas were honoured as the first ever dual recipients of the Young Australian of the Year Award.

They have also been named QLD Young Achievers of the Year, and been finalists for the Telstra Business Awards, AIM Leadership Excellence Awards and Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. They are currently nominated for the Professional Speakers Australia Breakthrough Speaker of the Year Award.

Lucas and Nic present their story of innovation, fast growth, social entrepreneurship, the impact of social media and how simple ideas can have an enormous impact. They speak at schools, corporates and conferences globally, and continue to inspire, motivate and do things differently!

As they continue to expand Orange Sky Laundry Australia-wide, they aim to positively connect the community and improve the lives of others.

Michael Pascoe

Michael Pascoe is one of Australia’s most experienced and thoughtful finance and economics commentators with more than four decades in newspaper, broadcast and online journalism, covering the full gamut of economic and business issues, as well as occasionally straying into more whimsical matters of the human condition.

Despite being a reporter of the “dismal science”, he maintains a sense of humour and the ability to speak and write entertainingly about the state of the nation and world. Increasingly, Pascoe’s body of work represents a fight for keeping perspective amidst the noise and haste of a news cycle with a short attention span and sometimes questionable motives. “There’s more data but less information, more opinion but less thought,” he says. “The low ebb of Australian politics has reduced debate to three-word chants and name calling. Both sides of politics have put the pursuit of power ahead of the best interests of the nation, ahead of being honest with the electorate. It’s never been more important to look through the headlines and political prejudices to find the facts.”

Michael Pascoe is contributing editor for The New Daily (thenewdaily.com.au), in demand as a speaker and facilitator and is regularly seen on the ABC’s The Drum, Channel 7’s Sunrise and other programs.